


Happy Birthday

by Hound_Unit



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Blood, Character Death, Implied Relationships, RvB Angst War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 16:37:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7471140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hound_Unit/pseuds/Hound_Unit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The multiple birthdays of Doc, the original bad boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> To @bittersweeetchemistry on Tumblr! They were my first ever beta and a beautiful one! Thank you so much!

The first time Doc mentioned his birthday to anyone was at Blood Gulch Outpost a few months after the chaotic events with Tex, he was lounging around at Red base listening to the reds talk about birthdays and pastries-escaping the blues afternoon bickering match-when he let it slip that today was his birthday. The chatter stopped, with a grunt Grif turned around. “No one cares.” He returned back to his team who didn't seem to care either and resume their talk. Doc didn't know what he should have expected, nor did he mind. They're a bunch of assholes anyways.

 

It was Doc’s birthday, Donut already knows this and has everything planned. Doc returned to base after his regular run when he was greeted with confetti the second he put his foot in the base. When he recovered from his shock he saw Donut ecstatic in front of him. Lopez with a purple party hat in the corner, deactivated but he appreciated the gesture. Purple decorations were all over the base. In the center of the base was a orchid colour cake, with the words “Happy birthday” in fluffy white cursive icing. “Happy birthday Doc!” Donut laughed as Doc stood there stiffly, shocked. “When did you-How?” Is all he could stammer out, as Donut dusted some confetti off him. “Well it's just you and I after the guys left us so it's not that hard to get everything up! And my amazing skills are something not to be underestimated mister!” The two proceeded to eat cake and listen to the radio. It was one of the best birthdays he's had in a long time.

Doc was transported to a cave for a while now. He had searched for an exit multiple times but to no avail, and without any equipment he’s stuck here. Alone. But, he knows they're looking for him, they have to be. They couldn't have forgotten him. He's their friend after all and even if they did Donut would remember right? He would remember him after all they spend so much time together. They just don't know where to look that's all...that's what's taking them so long. Doc popped off his helmet and sunk down to the cave floor letting himself get some air. Being here isn't good for him, he needs to distract himself. Anything would do as long as he stops feeling so _crushed_. He starts to sing happy birthday as droplets from the cave echo with his song, he imagined it was his friends who sang as his echoes. The loudest of his echoes was Caboose and Donut. Simmons and Tucker’s voices were distant but heard. Washington was like the droplets in the cave, hesitant and soft. While Sarge and Grif are the last echoes heard in the dark cave, silent and distant.

 

After the battle of Hargrove, they celebrated their victory and his birthday with smiling faces, laughter and tears, hugs and kisses. They sung a Donut made birthday song like an anthem of victory and wouldn't stop. And he could stop smiling either, despite Church’s death. Tucker’s head. Carolina’s broken heart. Grif’s leg. They sang like their life depend on it. It was like the song of freedom. Donut’s smile was contagious and bright just like the song, Caboose who was hugging him through the whole song was warm. Carolina’s eyes bright and powerful. Simmonsand Grif's voices calm and loving. Grey and Kimball laughed the entire time. Sarge, and Tucker sang with a drum in their hearts Lopez recorded the entire thing and Washington laughed with his hands intertwined with Tucker’s. He couldn't ask for a better birthday than this. He wished it could stay like this.

 

Doc was alone. Again. He completed his final mission after this, the war is over. And so is he. He looked down at his torso, blood leaked out in a rapid pace from the bullet wounds and deep cuts. He didn't have much time left, his healing unit can't take the amount of wounds he has. He pushed his body to continue down the dark blue hall with one shaky hand on the wall for support, ignoring the warning on his HUD.

Each step he took his vision blurred, his thoughts raced but for once not about survival or plans of escape but about the past. Each memory crashing into him like waves, their voices, smiles, laughter, face, eyes all come flooding back to him. His family is coming back to him for one last party, for one last song. He stopped and opened up a file on his HUD labelled “Happy birthday to the original bad boy”. The video began with Sarge fixing Lopez’s head, tongue out to the side, brow furrowed. In the background Carolina has her arms around Kimball and his past self chatting and laughing. Simmons and Grif are in the corner smiling slyly at each other, in a secret only they know. Donut is by a table with snacks with Caboose, pouring a drink for Caboose. And Tucker and Wash laughing, their eyes twinkling brightly at each others company. They all start to sing when Sarge leaves the camera, and Grey picks up the purple cake. Doc drops his hand from the wall and with his other hand clutches his torso as they begin to sing.

He looks to the light at the end of the hallway, it blurs the background of the video but gives his friends a glow. He remember little things about them, Donut’s dazzling smile, Carolina's bright eyes, Caboose’s warm hugs, Tucker's voice, Sarge's strength, Simmons compassion, Grif's heart, Wash’s laugh, Kimball’s selflessness, Grey's mind, and Church's memories. Each step he moved forward singing the song like an anthem, keeping him going. Each word lightening the load of pain and regret, each time they laugh a tear and blood falls like a beat for their anthem.

Doc finally reaches outside, he can't see much due to tears but he can make out the endless grassland and the blue sky. He collapses on his knees, letting go of his torso. He looks at his hands and let's out a painful chuckle, one was red and the other was blue how...timely. He watched as they finished up the ridiculously long birthday song created by Donut. He fell on ground, turning himself to look at the bright blue sky as his family stood by glowing by his past self against the bright blue backdrop of the sky.

_“Happy birthday to you!”_

“Thanks guys..”  
He manages to choke out as the video comes to a close. Their faces and warm laughter the last thing he experiences.

 

 

 

“See you soon.”


End file.
